Matthew Franks, author of the upcoming middle grade novel Orion Medallion, talks to The Quillery about his first book, The Monster Underneath.

TQ: Welcome to The Qwillery. When and why did you start writing?

Matthew: I started writing short stories in the third grade. Initially, I wrote to pass the time between lessons, but inevitably it became my passion. In those days, I wrote in three genres - action adventure, horror, and absurd. In the action adventure stories, a superhero went around beating up bad guys.

​In the horror stories, a Jason Voorhees type character went around murdering people. As for the absurd stories, well, it may be best to just give an example. In one of them, a kid's ear pops off his head and takes on a life of its own. It cleans itself up, puts on a tux, and gets a job like a person. I still have some of those stories and love looking back at them every now and then.

TQ: Are you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?

Matthew: Definitely a hybrid. It really depends on the story too. For The Monster Underneath, I knew where I was headed, but the subject matter allowed for a more stream-of-consciousness approach. In other works, especially fantasy and science fiction, I find it important to not only plot, but also ensure that the world, or worlds, of the story are well-developed ahead of time. If the setting is complete, I find it much easier to plot and navigate within it.

TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Matthew: Finding time. I'm sure that's what a lot of writers say, but it's true. There's always a lot going on in the real world and finding that perfect balance isn't easy.

The Monster Underneath was published by Samhain publishing in 2016.

To read the full interview and find out more about Matthew's work, click HERE